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17 People
TOBY GRILLS PRESIDENT OVER SECRET MEDICAL CONDITION DURING TERRORIST ALERT -- After a foreign terrorist is caught at the border with explosives, Bartlet (Martin Sheen) ponders the impact of ordering a heightened security alert for the nation's airports while an exasperated Toby (Richard Schiff) is shocked to learn of the President's secret affliction with multiple sclerosis -- and he details its political and legal ramifications. In other White House corridors, Sam (Rob Lowe) and Josh (Bradley Whitford) try to punch up an upcoming presidential speech with snappy one-liners while Josh jousts with Donna (Janel Moloney) over many contentious subjects, including the exact start date of her employment. In addition, Sam and Ainsley (Emily Procter) fuss over the 14th Amendment and equal rights for women. Summary Cast :Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn :Dulé Hill as Charlie Young :Janel Moloney as Donna Moss :Richard Schiff as Toby Ziegler :John Spencer as Leo McGarry :Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman :and Martin Sheen as President Bartlet Special Guest Star :Emily Procter as Ainsley Hayes Co-Starring :William Duffy as Larry :Peter James Smith as Ed Quotes : Toby: Well, I suppose one of five things: the President can decide not to run. He can run and not win. He can run and win. : Leo: And? What are the other two? : Toby: Leo . . . : Leo: You think he's going to need to resign? : Toby: There's going to be hearing upon hearing upon hearing. : Leo: He hasn't broken a law. : Toby: Says you. You don't have to break the law to be served with Articles of Impeachment : Leo: ''' Toby, it is never going to get that far. : '''Toby: Write down the exact time and date you said that. Trivia *Toby asks Leo if dropping Hoynes as Bartlett's running mate in the 2002 presidential election is being discussed. This is one of only two times in which The West WIng references the year in which the story is taking place. The other was in the Season 1 episode Mr. Willis of Ohio in which the manner of the 2000 Census is being discussed when it had been previously established that they had been in office for two years, or 1998. The West WIng never addresses why presidential elections take place in different years than in the real world, although one potential explanation would seem to be simply to make direct correlation to genuine campaigns (on a time basis) impossible. *The 17 people in the episode's title are: the First Lady, the President's three daughters, the President's brother, Dr Herman Virkman and his team of 5 other physicians responsible for the initial diagnosis, Vice-President Hoynes, Admiral Fitzwallace, Leo McGarry, Dr David Lee (the anesthesiologist on duty the night that the President was shot), Toby Zeigler, and the President himself. BACKSTAGE *Aaron Sorkin 'yelled' at Emily Procter and Rob Lowe to stop flirting so much, when visiting the actors rehearsing the mess scene, after they'd been rehearsing the scene in in seclusion for a while. Procter retorted that he should then stop writing them flirting.The West Wing Weekly — 2.18: 17 People (With Richard Schiff, Emily Procter, Rebecca Walker (February 2017) PRODUCTION NOTES *With only three actors in the Special Guest, Guest and Co-Starring credits, it has the smallest guest cast of any West Wing episode. *Allison Janney was originally in this episode but had to be written out when she had to fly to London, England, to film extra scenes for The Hours ERRORS *In Ainsley's final retort to Sam in opposition to the ERA, she incorrectly refers to the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution as "Article 14". Links *There's a full website dedicated to this episode, complete with sketches, models and more! > Seventeen People Notes and references Category:Episodes Category:Season 2